Guitar · key of E major

Chords in the key of E major

The seven chords in the key of E major are E, F♯m, G♯m, A, B, C♯m and D♯dim. E, A and B are the major chords (I, IV and V), F♯m, G♯m and C♯m are the minor chords (ii, iii and vi), and D♯dim is diminished (vii°). Its relative minor is C♯ minor, which uses the same seven chords.

Key

Scale

The chords of E major
Numeral	Triad	Notes	Seventh chord	Notes	Number	Role
I	Ehome	E G♯ B	Emaj7home	E G♯ B D♯	1	tonic
ii	F♯mrestless	F♯ A C♯	F♯m7restless	F♯ A C♯ E	2m	supertonic
iii	G♯mhalf-light	G♯ B D♯	G♯m7half-light	G♯ B D♯ F♯	3m	mediant
IV	Athe door	A C♯ E	Amaj7the door	A C♯ E G♯	4	subdominant
V	Bthe pull	B D♯ F♯	B7the pull	B D♯ F♯ A	5	dominant
vi	C♯mthe shadow	C♯ E G♯	C♯m7the shadow	C♯ E G♯ B	6m	submediant
vii°	D♯dimthe edge	D♯ F♯ A	D♯m7♭5the edge	D♯ F♯ A C♯	7°	leading tone

Sound

Strum or arpeggiate any chord, tap a note to hear it, drag the strip under a picture to play it further up the neck, or pick another inversion. Library opens the chord there, with every other way to play it.

E

LibraryFamousStandard

I · tonic

F♯m

LibraryStandard

ii · supertonic

G♯m

LibraryStandard

iii · mediant

A

LibraryStandard

IV · subdominant

B

LibraryStandard

V · dominant

C♯m

LibraryStandard

vi · submediant

D♯dim

LibraryStandard

vii° · leading tone

Chord progressions in E major

Press a chord to hear it and see its shape, or Play to hear the progression on guitar. The colours say what each chord does in the key.

Sound Pattern Tempo85

↓ · ↓ ↑ · ↑ ↓ ↑ · Down, down-up, up-down-up: the campfire strum, also called the calypso strum.

Colours

homethe pullthe doorthe shadowrestlesshalf-light

What each chord does in its key. Press a chord to hear it and read more.

The three-chord trick

I | IV | V | I

Key Chord chart

The chords of countless folk, country, blues and rock and roll songs.

The pop progression

I | V | vi | IV

Key Chord chart

I–V–vi–IV, behind a great many hits since the 1980s.

The fifties progression

I | vi | IV | V

Key Chord chart

I–vi–IV–V, the doo-wop changes.

The pop progression from its minor chord

vi | IV | I | V

Key Chord chart

vi–IV–I–V: the pop progression started on its minor chord, which gives it a sadder sound.

The royal road

IV | V | iii | vi

Key Chord chart

IV–V–iii–vi, a favourite of Japanese pop.

ii–V–I

ii7 | V7 | Imaj7 | Imaj7

Key Chord chart

The turnaround of jazz, in seventh chords.

The relative minor: C♯ minor

C♯ minor has the same notes and the same seven chords as E major, starting from C♯. A song in one often moves to the other. The parallel minor, E minor, starts on the same note with a different set of chords.

Other ways to play it with a capo

E major is one of the easy keys on guitar, with open chords. A capo gives other shapes for the same sound:

Capo 2, the shapes of D major: D, Em, F♯m, G, A, Bm and C♯dim
Capo 4, the shapes of C major: C, Dm, Em, F, G, Am and Bdim
Capo 7, the shapes of A major: A, Bm, C♯m, D, E, F♯m and G♯dim

The E major scale and key signature

The notes of E major are E, F♯, G♯, A, B, C♯, D♯. Its key signature has four sharps: F♯, G♯, C♯ and D♯. Each chord of the key is built from these notes, a third apart: a chord on every note of the scale. See the E major scale on the guitar neck, and the E major pentatonic.

Keys nearby

On the circle of fifths, B major and A major sit on either side of E major. Each shares six of its seven notes, which makes them the easiest keys to change to.

Every key

C D♭D E♭E F F♯G A♭A B♭B

C minor C♯ minor D minor E♭ minor E minor F minor F♯ minor G minor G♯ minor A minor B♭ minor B minor

All twenty-four on one page: chords in every key. To print these chords, open them as a chord chart, or make your own in the chord chart maker. This key on bass, ukulele, mandolin and banjo.